Young James Herriot

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Young James Herriot
YoungJamesHerriotTitleCard.jpg
Genre Drama
Created by
Written by
  • Ann McManus
  • Eileen Gallagher
Directed byMichael Keillor
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes3 (list of episodes)
Production
Production location Glasgow
Running time60 minutes
Production companyKoco Drama
Original release
Network BBC One
Release18 December (2011-12-18) –
20 December 2011 (2011-12-20)

Young James Herriot is a three-part British television drama based on the early life of veterinary surgeon James Herriot. It is part of a series of movies and television series based on Herriot's novels. It features Iain De Caestecker as the title character following his arrival at veterinary college, alongside Amy Manson and Ben Lloyd-Hughes as fellow students Whirly Tyson and Rob McAloon. Directed by Michael Keillor and written by Ann McManus and Eileen Gallagher, it was a Koco Drama production for the BBC which first aired on BBC One in December 2011.

Contents

Plot

The plot is based on the early life and studies of veterinary surgeon James Alfred Wight, known for his autobiographical books, under the pen name James Herriot, which were the basis for the BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small . The series is set in the 1930s at the Glasgow Veterinary College, where Herriot (Iain De Caestecker) has arrived to train as a veterinary surgeon. It focuses on his relationship with his new-found friends Emma 'Whirly' Tyson (Amy Manson) and Rob McAloon (Ben Lloyd-Hughes). They lodge together at the home of Elspeth Munro (Natasha Little).

Also featured are Jenny Muirhead (Joanna Vanderham), who is the only other female student at the college, and lecturers Professor Gunnell (Gary Lewis) and Professor Richie (Tony Curran). Topics which feature in the story lines include the subjugation of women, the treatment of students by Professor Gunnell, and the rise of the fascist movement in the UK.

Production

Announced in July 2010 with the title Young James, the series was devised by Johnny Byrne, a scriptwriter on All Creatures Great and Small, and consultant producer Kate Croft. [1] Byrne, who died in 2008 during the development of the series, knew Alf Wight (who wrote under the pen name Herriot) and his passion and experience convinced Croft that a series could be successful: [2]

Through his friendship with Alf he also came to know this wonderful story of how Alf became a vet. This was an amazing story and when he first told me – this was about 10 years ago – I knew it had to be a TV series.

— Kate Croft [2]

The series was produced by Koco Drama, a Shed Media company, and written by their executives Ann McManus and Eileen Gallagher. [3] The team had access to the Herriot archive and the archives of the Glasgow Veterinary College, including the diaries and case notes he kept during his student years. It was produced with the cooperation of Wight's family; they met de Caestecker, who found them "very helpful", and he had dinner with Wight's son Jim. [2]

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"18 December 2011 (2011-12-18)6.73 [4]
James Herriot dreams of nothing more than becoming a vet, so is very pleased when he is accepted by the veterinary college in Glasgow. However, his first day doesn't quite go to plan when he ends up insulting Professor Ritchie, without knowing who he is. Herriot is sent on his first job – to find the cure for a sick horse – but after his first diagnoses finds the animal has more problems that are not curable.
2"Episode 2"19 December 2011 (2011-12-19)5.08 [4]
James Herriot is called to deal with a deadly epidemic on a farm but his intervention might pull the family apart. He then does what he can to make it right. Meanwhile McAloon is presented with an opportunity he cannot refuse and Professor Gunnell gets a shock.
3"Episode 3"20 December 2011 (2011-12-20)4.99 [4]
James Herriot struggles to balance his politics and his career as a vet after he takes a job at Jenny Muirhead's parents' kennels. Their fascist sympathies soon come to the boil and present a serious problem for both James and Professor Ritchie. Meanwhile Professor Gunnell pushes on to try to get Whirley out of the college and James is left facing a hard choice.

Reception

The first episode gained an audience of 6.73 million, with the second and third episodes attracting 5.08 million and 4.99 million viewers respectively. [4]

Christopher Hooton in Metro found that it failed to leave a lasting impression, saying it was "an insubstantial, mildly-pleasing period soap". [5] He later said that "the last thing we needed was a bloated, plodding period drama", and he found the lighting "more appropriate to a sombre Dickens adaptation than tales of a charming young Scot bumbling his way through veterinary college". [6] Jasper Rees for The Arts Desk also discusses the production design, and said: "Basically, they've made a children's drama and slotted it after the watershed. The writing goes exceptionally easy on nuance and texture." [7] It reminded Michael Hogan, writing in The Daily Telegraph , "of French and Saunders's cruelly accurate costume parody, The House of Idiot, where characters crowbarred in clumsy nods to 'the period' just to remind forgetful viewers". Despite the "odd amusing moment", he felt it "rather let down the well-loved original". [8]

At the 2012 British Academy Scotland Awards, Iain de Caestecker and Michael Keillor were nominated for the television actor and director awards respectively. [9]

In April 2012 the BBC confirmed the series would not return. [3]

Home release

The first series was released in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2012. [10] In the U.S. and Canada on 4 September 2012. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Herriot</span> British veterinary surgeon (1916–1995)

James Alfred Wight, better known by his pen name James Herriot, was a British veterinary surgeon and author.

All Creatures Great and Small may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Timothy</span> Welsh actor and narrator (born 1940)

Christopher Timothy is a Welsh actor and narrator. He is known for his roles as James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small, Mac McGuire in the BBC soap opera Doctors, and Ted Murray in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Sinclair (veterinary surgeon)</span> British veterinarian (1915–1988)

Wallace Brian Vaughan Sinclair was a British veterinary surgeon who worked for a time with his older brother Donald, and Donald's business partner, Alf Wight. Wight wrote a series of semi-autobiographical novels under the pen name James Herriot, with Sinclair and Donald appearing in fictional form as brothers Tristan and Siegfried Farnon. The novels were adapted in two films and television series under the name All Creatures Great and Small. Tristan was portrayed as a charming rogue who was still studying veterinary medicine in the early books, constantly having to re-take examinations because of his lack of application, often found in the pub, and provoking tirades from his bombastic elder brother Siegfried.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donald Sinclair (veterinary surgeon)</span> Inspiration for fictional character Siegfried Farnon

Donald Vaughan Sinclair was a British veterinary surgeon who graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in 1933. He was made famous as the inspiration for the eccentric character Siegfried Farnon, in the semi-autobiographical books of James Herriot, adapted for film and television as All Creatures Great and Small.

Susannah Harker is an English film, television, and theatre actress. She was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award in 1990 for her role as Mattie Storin in House of Cards. She played Jane Bennet in the 1995 TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darrowby</span> Fictional village in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England

Darrowby is a fictional village in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England, which was created by author Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot as the setting for the veterinary practice in his book It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet. The book has been adapted for two television series, both titled All Creatures Great and Small. The first was the BBC's 1978 series, which aired between 1978 and 1990. A new adaptation was produced for the 2020 series.

<i>All Creatures Great and Small</i> (film) 1975 film

All Creatures Great and Small is a 1975 British film, directed by Claude Whatham and starring Simon Ward and Anthony Hopkins as Yorkshire vets James Herriot and Siegfried Farnon. It is based on the first novels by James Herriot : If Only They Could Talk (1970) and It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1972).

<i>All Creatures Great and Small</i> (1978 TV series) British veterinary TV series (1978-90)

All Creatures Great and Small is a British television series made by the BBC and based on the books of the British veterinary surgeon Alf Wight, who wrote under the pseudonym James Herriot. Set in the Yorkshire Dales and beginning in the mid-1930s, it stars Christopher Timothy as Herriot, Robert Hardy as Siegfried Farnon, the proprietor of the Skeldale House surgery, and Peter Davison as Siegfried's "little brother", Tristan. Herriot's wife, Helen, was initially played by Carol Drinkwater and in the later series by Lynda Bellingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine</span>

The School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow is one of nine veterinary schools in the United Kingdom, and offers undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Veterinary Medicine.

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Thomas Jarvie was a Scottish professional footballer, veterinary surgeon and television personality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The World of James Herriot</span> Attraction in North Yorkshire, England

World of James Herriot Ltd is a visitor attraction in the former Thirsk home and veterinary surgery of author James Herriot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain De Caestecker</span> Scottish actor

Iain De Caestecker is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020). He is also known for his roles in Coronation Street (2001–2003) as Adam Barlow and the films Shell (2012), In Fear (2013), Not Another Happy Ending (2013), Lost River (2014), and Overlord (2018).

The All Creatures Great and Small franchise consists of a series of books, movies, and TV series based on books written by James Alfred Wight under the pen name James Herriot based on his experiences as a veterinary surgeon. The books have been adapted for film and television, including a 1975 film All Creatures Great and Small, followed by the 1976 It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet sequel, as well as a long-running BBC television programme of the same title, and a prequel series in 2011, Young James Herriot.

Julian Norton is a British veterinary surgeon, author and TV personality, best known for his appearances on thirteen series of The Yorkshire Vet, which has been broadcast on Channel 5 since 2015.

<i>All Creatures Great and Small</i> (2020 TV series) British television series

All Creatures Great and Small is a television series set in 1930s Northern England, based upon a series of books about a Yorkshire veterinary surgeon written by Alf Wight under the pen name of James Herriot. The series was produced by Playground Entertainment for Channel 5.

Nicholas Ralph is a Scottish actor. He plays James Herriot in the Channel 5 and PBS Masterpiece television series All Creatures Great and Small, a remake of the long-running BBC series.

<i>Roadkill</i> (TV series) UK television miniseries

Roadkill is a British four-part television thriller written and created by David Hare, and directed by Michael Keillor. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 October 2020. In the United States, it was broadcast as part of the Masterpiece anthology series on PBS starting 1 November 2020.

References

  1. ↑ Halliday, Josh (26 July 2010). "All Creatures Great and Small set for comeback". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "Media Pack: Young James Herriot". BBC. 25 November 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  3. 1 2 Conlan, Tara (24 April 2012). "BBC axes Young James Herriot drama series". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Hooton, Christopher (18 December 2011). "Young James Herriot failed to leave a lasting impression". Metro . Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  6. ↑ Hooton, Christopher (18 December 2011). "Young James Herriot was as dingy as it was dreary". Metro . Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  7. ↑ Rees, Jasper (19 December 2011). "Young James Herriot, BBC One". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  8. ↑ Hogan, Michael (18 December 2011). "Young James Herriot, BBC One, review". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  9. ↑ "British Academy Scotland Awards Winners in 2012". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  10. ↑ "Young James Herriot (DVD)". BBC Shop . Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  11. ↑ "Young James Herriot (2011)". Amazon . Retrieved 18 December 2012.
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